Isaac and the Egg: the unique, funny and heartbreaking Saturday Times bestseller

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It’s a tale that might seem familiar. But how it speaks to you will depend on how you’ve lived until now. I was worried that the ending would shatter me. But it is heartwarming and hopeful, and more importantly, proceeds logically from the story. This is a book about a lot of things – grief, hope, friendship, love. It’s also about what you’d do if you stumbled into the woods at dawn, found something extraordinary there, and decided to take it home.

Isaac Addy is in een diep, donker dal beland, een dal waarin geen licht lijkt te kunnen doordringen. Sinds de dood van zijn grote liefde lijkt alles leeg en uitzichtloos en hij probeert zichzelf te verdoven om maar niets te hoeven voelen, hij heeft vrijwel iedereen van zich afgeduwd, verwaarloost zichzelf, is erg depressief en weet niet of hij nog wil leven. Op een dag staat hij op een brug, hij twijfelt of hij moet springen en hij schreeuwt… en dan schreeuwt er iets terug. I have avoided the recent trend of books about grief and have issues with audio so this was another choice that perplexed me in hindsight – that was until I started listening. From the bright yellow cover to the creative use of fonts, this book is something out of the ordinary. It is one of those books where it’s better not to know anything about it and just go along for the ride, and what a ride it is. Suspend disbelief and rational thought and embrace incredulity, madness, and mayhem, and you will “find hope in the unexpected”. Little by little the story of how Isaac has arrived in this particularly murky pit of despair is imparted to the reader with aha moments coming as a relief. The story revolves around a tragic incident and the arrival of an unexpected guest who is an absolute delight, incredibly quirky, but showing great compassion and sensitivity. Knowing that this kindly presence cannot stay forever adds a bittersweet element which makes you want to proceed slowly and at times hold your breath. Film buffs will also find much to enjoy and will nod and smile at the mention of family favourites and well-known quotes. Isaac and the Egg is a story of love and loss and heart-wrenching grief, but it simultaneously shines with a mesmerising mash-up of hope, fun, humour and wonder. Michelle, VIC, 4 Stars Original, quirky, utterly compelling. These are the words that I would use to describe this book. However don’t be fooled thinking this is just a story about a cute little egg. While it is funny in places this is a book about grief, Isaac is in a bad place and his feelings are raw. One of the most eagerly awaited books of the year . . . an incredibly moving and at times heartbreaking – and sometimes funny – book’ HELLO!It can’t be completely definitive of course because grief is wholly and utterly different for every person, which includes the book’s protagonist Isaac Addy, a late-twenties illustrator of children’s books and other things, who suddenly finds his world upended when tragedy befalls him. An arresting debut novel about grief, but in the most wonderfully oblique way' Reverend Richard Coles A modern-day fairy tale full of charm, innocence, pain and humour that is deeply satisfying and wonderfully surprising It’s a tale that might seem familiar. A broken man and an unexpected guest, who can’t stay forever. But real life isn’t a story.

That is until he walks into the woods one day on what is undoubtedly the worst day of a life that doesn’t feel like it’s ever going to get any better, and finds his existential scream of neverending pain answered by something that sounds as lost as he is. This is an out-and-out character-oriented novel. Such stories are tougher to carry out successfully, but the author does a splendid job. This is beautifully written, it’s captivating with a delightful blend of humour and the heart breaking. Some scenes are so vivid, so well described you feel like a fly on the wall observing the frequent chaos. Many of the incidents make me smile and I doubt I’ll ever open a tin of beans or look at a toaster in the same way ever again!!!! It’s creative in a myriad of ways, it initially seems straightforward but it’s a more complex tale than it appears at first glance. I love the clever use of film to make pertinent points and the delightful originality of some of the language. Is it an alien or is it a figment of Isaac’s broken mind? Whatever it is Isaac decides to take it home where it behaves like an unruly toddler. And something magical begins to happen….It was utterly charming, which probably sounds like the strangest description of a book about grief you could imagine but it’s true. It captured the tsunami feeling of grief so perfectly and what felt like effortlessly, feeling like you’re spiralling out of control and losing your grip on reality while life carries on for everybody else. Isaac was profoundly relatable and his emotions throughout the book felt so real.